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Hi Guys,

I am a good player, but i play in a low division in a local league, (doubles) and i have changed my style and am winning most of my games now.

The thing is when you play lower league club level i find (and i used to be one) people here try and do "winning shots" every shot and the of course this will not always work and one out of every 2 or 3 shots would go out or into the net.

What i do now is to just play alot more deep clears because with most people trying to win every point they try and smash from right back of court or drop and thus they make alot more mistakes.

I have won so many games now where my opponents have made lots of errors so i just wanted to know what you guys thought and if any of you lot know what i mean.

I am a good player, but i play in a low division in a local league, (doubles) and i have changed my style and am winning most of my games now.

You say that you are winning most of your games, and claim to be a good player. You should be actively seeking to play in a higher league.

Originally Posted by branchini1979

The thing is when you play lower league club level i find (and i used to be one) people here try and do "winning shots" every shot and the of course this will not always work and one out of every 2 or 3 shots would go out or into the net.

What i do now is to just play alot more deep clears because with most people trying to win every point they try and smash from right back of court or drop and thus they make alot more mistakes.

I have won so many games now where my opponents have made lots of errors so i just wanted to know what you guys thought and if any of you lot know what i mean.

Basically you're using a strategy (defensive deep clears) that works well against imperfect technique (inconsistent smashes/drops). Most people agree that doubles in badminton is very attack-oriented, and this is readily apparent for players at the highest level. Therefore, you're training to become better against lower level players. While the low level players you're playing against are able to practice their attacking shots.

Firstly i am probably playing in the right league and maybe even be ok in the next league up, but really what i am saying is i have found people in the league i play against (div 3) try and do winning shots all the time rather than play out rallies and look for that winning shots, hence i will attack a shot if it is there to be attacked otherwise i will do a deep clear and i often find opponents will try and smash or drop (try winning shot) when they are really bending backwards and out of position, hence they either hit it into the net or hit it at an angle which i can easily attack back.

You also mentioned about opponents technique, well i think basically div 3 in my league is people that have less technique than the higher leagues but they think they can try and win every point....Basic Badminton rule is if in doubt do Clear and await the opportunity to play that winning shot.

I am lucky to be involved in a rally that is more than 5 shots in my league which is a shame

It's a good plan to be honest. I used to be one of those people, and when I lost points it was because I'd hit the net or play it wide - seldom by being beaten. Take a step back and play the safer shots and hey presto, things work better.

The next step is to build on your attacking play so you can respond with pressure (as the previous posters mention). Above all else, it shows you are thinking tactically and strategically, and I'm sure when you reach the level that these tactics don't work as well you'll have the foresight to adapt.

Firstly i am probably playing in the right league and maybe even be ok in the next league up, but really what i am saying is i have found people in the league i play against (div 3) try and do winning shots all the time rather than play out rallies and look for that winning shots, hence i will attack a shot if it is there to be attacked otherwise i will do a deep clear and i often find opponents will try and smash or drop (try winning shot) when they are really bending backwards and out of position, hence they either hit it into the net or hit it at an angle which i can easily attack back.

You also mentioned about opponents technique, well i think basically div 3 in my league is people that have less technique than the higher leagues but they think they can try and win every point....Basic Badminton rule is if in doubt do Clear and await the opportunity to play that winning shot.

well, there's a whole range of shots in between the "very safe high clear" and the " all or nothing winners"....
You should aim to play attacking yet still safe, if you can do that, you can easily reach much higher divisions....

I am lucky to be involved in a rally that is more than 5 shots in my league which is a shame

well, I've seen entire matches played out on top level with barely any rallies over 8 strokes...
Doublesgames are just that fast
Though if you mean they all end in errors, than I see what you mean

I have never played in the Colchester league, but I have played in the Braintree, Chelmsford and Southend leagues and I do know what you mean. At the lower levels in some of these leagues and particularly with the new scoring system a lot of players lose games not because their opponents win the game but because they lose it by making mistakes.

One of the main things I found when I first started to play league matches was how important it is not to make mistakes. As you say you can't attack every shuttle and sometimes you will have to clear, and if you make sure all your clears are deep enough and high enough then it will force your opponents to the back of the court where it is more difficult to attack and they are more likely to make mistakes.

As the other guys have said, clearing is not the answer and when you play better pairs if you adopt this tactic you will get creamed, so you should use the games against these weaker pairs to practice your good clears when you need to use them but also work on turning defencing into attack, reducing your own errors and most importantly using these games to practice and improve your own attacking play!

Attack when you can. Against strong players, you are not likely to win rallies with deep clears; this tactic is only effective when your opponents are weak in the rearcourt.

Remember that "attacking" does not mean "playing a winning shot". Attacking in doubles involves maintaining control the rally so that you can keep hitting downwards, while your opponents are forced to lift the shuttle. When attacking, you must maintain a sufficient margin for error; avoid high-risk shots, such as aiming your smashes to land exactly on the sidelines. Consider playing drop shots instead of smashes, when you need more recovery time for the next shot.

Having said that, it's important to be realistic about your own attacking capabilities. Sometimes you are not in a suitable position to attack; your attack will not be effective, and it will hand your opponents the opportunity to place you under severe pressure with a simple defensive shot. In these situations, it's better to play a clear and give yourself time to recover. After playing a clear, however, you must look for the next opportunity to regain the attack.

Attacking clears can be an effective tactic against skilful defenders who are also a little slow to move around the court, or against defenders who are heavily "dug in" in preparation for your smash. A surprise flat clear can often force a weak response.

A partnership needs to establish control of the forecourt and net area. This is done by forcing your opponents to lift. As soon as they left to the reacourt they give away the attack, your partnership now needs to establish and front and back formation biased to shuttle position. Simplistically all you need to do now is play shots that force your opponents to keep lifting or blocking to the net. As the rearcourt you need to try to play shots that bring your front partner into the game, give him/her chances to kill at the net or maintain the attack with good effective net returns, working the opportunity of a weak reply for you to smash away etc. One problem with clearing for no reason is that your partner is unable to commit 100% forwards, they're moving in and out, this leaves spaces for your opponents to exploit, in particular the defenders have an opportunity to block to the net forcing your side to lift.

a clear can be a viable option sometimes, since it might catch your opponent by surprise. But at more competitive play your opponent can just whip the shuttle down with a 'wrist-tap' or whatever you call it, even if the shuttle have passed him and he's in an uncomfortable position. If he makes an error then good for you...but if he doesn't he'd gain the attack in one stroke. if he wanna be safe he can just clear it back at you. So overall i'd say although it's viable and i often see deep attacking clears even in competitive play, i don't think it gives any major advantage

against low level players that will deffinetly win you points but like stated by others the higher you move up it cost you. as well by doing this its kinda not building on yoru shot selection. The higher level doubles you play you will notice that the attack and defence can easily change many times within a single rally. you have to remember theres 2 of you on the court and well if your in a position to hit a clear that means you could have also played an offensive shot. an offensive shot doesnt mean a winning shot it means play a shot to put pressure on you ropponent as well as to try to set up your partner who is in the front of the court to see if they can end the rally off a weak return. if your really late to the shuttle and cant play an offensive shot then yes you would most likley have to clear it to the back of the opponents court. but for the time being even when playing these players in your league try to work on your offensive/pressure shots when you play them because as you start to move up in the leagues then you will be needing them and you have got to develope them now.